1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information retrieving apparatus and an information retrieving system using the information retrieving apparatus, and more specifically to an information retrieving apparatus and an information retrieving system using the information retrieving apparatus for automatically retrieving prepared information such as advertising information from an information server and incorporating it into retrieved information when the retrieved information is obtained from an information retrieving server.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the development of computer networks and communication technology, the information from a number of information servers located all over the world can be optionally retrieved. A typical information retrieving system can be the world wide web (WWW) through the Internet. Well-known information retrieving apparatuses (information retrieving browser) of the WWW are Mosaic, Netscape, etc.
At present, information is provided through the Internet free of charge. However, a fee will be charged for each piece of useful information in the future. It is considered, in such cases, that the present advertising systems for newspapers and TV should apply to the WWW. That is, the present newspaper fee can be reduced by advertising products in newspapers, and in return receiving advertising fees from advertisers, and assigning the received fees as a portion of the issuing expenses. Thus, the fee for the information may be reduced by applying this advertising system to the WWW.
When the advertising system applies to the WWW as described above, the following method can be adopted. That is, each of the information servers stores object information together with associated advertising information. The user specifies desired information and requests the WWW to retrieve it. When the WWW accesses the information server at the retrieval request, the information server returns the retrieval result together with an associated advertisement. Thus, the user obtains the desired information and an advertisement.
However, according to such a method, there is the problem that an advertisement cannot be provided for the user unless the user accesses an information server storing advertising information. Although this problem is not at all serious with newspapers, it is a very serious problem with advertisements using the WWW. This depends on the differences in medium characteristics between a paper, etc. and the Internet.
The number of press companies and TV stations is limited, and a large number of readers and subscribers belong to each of them. Therefore, even if an advertisement is not provided until the user accesses an information provider, sufficient advertising effect can be expected. On the other hand, an enormous number of information servers exist in the WWW. Therefore, there is a tendency to centrally access a limited number of information servers. Under such a situation, a number of subscribers do not access a large number of information servers except for popular information servers. Accordingly, it is not expected that the large number of information servers obtain sufficient advertising effects.
According to the present advertising method, no advertising effect may be obtained in some cases. Therefore a large number of information servers, except for a few specific popular information servers, cannot attract advertisers, and the advertising system itself may not be maintained. Therefore, this advertising method cannot apply to advertisements through the WWW.
Also according to this advertising method, however, a predetermined advertisement is provided for a user and the user cannot optionally select a desired advertisement. This is not a serious problem with newspapers, etc., but it is a serious problem with advertisements through the WWW. This again refers to the differences in medium characteristics between newspapers and the Internet.
Newspapers simultaneously have a sufficiently large number of both readers and subscribers for each advertisement. Therefore, even if an advertisement is not required by a portion of users, it may be useful for a large number of other users and a sufficiently large advertising effect can be expected. On the other hand, a user of information through the WWW is normally a single user. That is, a large number of users do not simultaneously access the same information. Therefore, a provided advertisement does not always interest the receiving user, and no useful effects can be expected from the advertisement.
From the above described points, useful effects of advertisements may not be obtained according to the above described advertising method. As a result, advertisers may not be attracted, thereby causing the advertising system to be abandoned. Therefore, the above described advertising method cannot widely apply to advertisements through the WWW.